Fabricated structural member



Nov 24,1925. I 1,563,119

J. E. TONNELIER FABRICATED STRUCTURAL MEMBER Filed April 17. 1924 I l l1 I 1 2 1 gnvento'f 114 4 6H0: "enrol J. EDMUND TUNNELIER, 0]?PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIQNOR TO J'QNES dz LAUGHLIN STEELCORPORATION, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- 'JLION OFPENNSYLVANIA.

FA'ElR-ICATED STRUCTURAL MEMBER.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that l, J. EDMUND ToNNuLInR, a citizen of the United States,residing at f Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented an limprovement in Fabricated StructuralMembers, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings,

is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing likeparts.

My invention aims to strengthen and improve roll-ed structural membersor shapes of open web or trussed form, and to enable such members to bereadily and economically fabricated and utilized for building and otherurposes.

In t e accompanying drawings, wherein it have shown one embodiment of myinvention for purposes of illustration,

Fig. 1 is a side view of a trussed web I- beam such as is suitable forfloor beams, roof trusses and purlins, bridge girders, and otherstructural purposes;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of one end of the beam shown in Fig. 1;Fig. 3 is an end view of the same; and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross-section of the end portionof the beam onthe line 4-4 in Fig. 2, Figs. 2, 3 and {i being drawn to the same scale.

The invention may be applied to I-beams, channels, Z-sections,T-sections, H-sections, and other shapes with and without flanges,having'trussed or open web port-ions formed integrally with the flan ormargins. In rolling such structural s apes the web portions (which maybe in the form of tie members) are most readily made of uniform strengthand are equally spaced lengthwise of the shape; This distribution of webmembers is not suitable for developing the maximum strength of thesections under all conditions of load,'as the tie members subjected tocompression stress will buckle and fail under a muchlighter load thanthose subjected to tension stress.

Also, in using such shapes, they may require to be cut at points betweenthe panel points, i. e., the ends of the tie members, thereby leavingthe free ends of the flanges unsupported and weak; and they may becalled upon to support'concentrated loads, s for example, at the pointsof support of cross-beams, or where they intersect walls.

' lln such and many other cases, provision may advantageously be made toprevent collapse of the shape at unsupported or highly stressed pointsby additional bracing for the web portions capable of resistingcompression, bending and shearing stresses.

lihe particular embodiment of the invention selected for illustrationherein and shown in the drawings comprises stifieners, of any suitablecross-section, preferably of channel shape, for reenforcing the ends andintermediate points of lattice-web structural shapes, especially such asare liable to be subjected to compression-stresses, but other shapes andforms of stifl'eners and points of reenter-cement are contemplated.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the invention is embodied in a trussedI-beam having flanges 12 connected by angularly disposed lattice or webmembers 13 formed integrally with the flanges by any suitable process ofmanufacture. Each end of the beam is strengthened by securing theretosuitable stifieners or reenforcement, such as the channel plates 14,which are preferabl disposed-0n opposite sides of the downwar ly andoutwardly inclined web members of the beam at or adjacent to its ends,and may have end portions 15 parallel to and near the lower flange. Inthe form of theinvention "shown in the drawing, inclined stiffeners 16,

preferably of channel shape, are secured on both sides of thecorresponding web members of the anels near the ends of the beam.

At their en s, these stiffeners are secured to the stein portions of theflanges. Intermediate points may be likewise strengthened by inclinedstiifening members similar to the stifi'eners 16 for bracing tie memberssubject to excessive compression stresses under peculiar conditions.

The preferred manner of securing stiffener plates to the web portions ofthe beam is by spot welding, although'any suitable means for attachingthe members rigidly together may be used.

A further advantage of the end stifi'eners is that the ends of the beammay be cut ofi to reduce its length or suit the conditions of usewithout weakening the beam. Any free end portions of incomplete tiemembers at the ends of the beams may advantageously tions of the,supporting structure.

The invention is not restricted to the forms, shapes and dimensions ofthe members shown in the drawings, as it, is obvious that it may beapplied in various forms and shapes suitable to the uses for which it isadapted.

What I claim asmy invention and desire to secure .b Letters Patent is:

1. A roli ed shape having an open work web strengthened by diagonallyextending stiffening bars rigidly secured to the compression Webmembers.

2. A rolled shape of the character described having a web comprisinginclined tie members strengthened by plates secured thereto on oppositesides in regions subject to. compression stresses.

3. A rolled shape having fian es connected by tie members integraltherewith forming panels of intersecting tension and compression tiemembers, and stiffening members secured to said compression members inpanels adjacent tothe ends'of said shape.

4. A rolled shape having flanges connected by tie members integraltherewith forming panels of intersecting tension and compression tiemembers, and end braces having portions disposed parallel to the lowerflange on opposite sides thereof and secured thereto, said braces havingportions extending diagonally to the upper flange along and secured tothe adjacent compression tie members.

- 5. A rolled shape having a web comprising integral, diagonallydisposed tie members of uniform size for the tension and com ressionregions, and diagonally extendin races secured to the opposite sides ofsand compression tie members,

6. A flanged rolled shape having a web comprising integral, dia onallydisposed tie members connecting sai flanges at spaced points formingpanels, the compression members of sa d panels having len hwiseextending braces secured thereto an to the ends of adjacent tie membersand having a shape resisting bending.

' 7. A rolled shape having a web comprising integral, diagonallydisposed compression tie members having lengthwise extending bracesspaced apart inwardly from its ends and having portions secured totheends of adjacent tie members.

8. A rolled shape having upper and lower flanges and a web comprisingintegral, diagonally disposedcompression tie members, lengthwiseextendin braces secured to said tie members, said races having diagonalportions secured to the upper flange at their inner ends, andhorizontally disposed portions secured to the lower flange at theirlower ends constituting stifleners for the ends of said shape. i v

9. A rolled shape having marginal flanges and an open-Work webcomprising integral, diagonally disposed compression tie members, andlengthwise extending braces secured to selected compression tie membersin regions of excessive compression stress.

10. A rolled shape having flanges 11 and an open web comprising tiemembers 12, end stiffeners 14 secured to the endmost compression tiemembers and having end portions 15 parallel to the flanges and securedalong the lower flange, and intermediate stifleners 16 secured to thetie members in regions of excessive compression stress.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JJEDMUND TONNEL'IER.

